17

Jump Start # 1018

Posted on January 17, 2014 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1018

Proverbs 23:1-2 “When you sit down to dine with a ruler, consider carefully what is before you, and put a knife to your throat if you are a man of great appetite.”

  I love the Proverbs. They are not only intensely practical, they seem to cover about everything in life from spirituality, to finance, to family, and here in our verse, how to conduct yourself when you eat with a ruler. “Put a knife to your throat,” is very blunt and brutal. Most of us would say, “Don’t be a pig.”

Eating with rulers is not a common thing for most of us. I don’t think I ever have. That doesn’t mean that there isn’t some thoughts here that I should learn. In the presence of company, or even, in the presence of others, watch yourself. The passage is addressed to a man with a great appetite. Such a man loves to eat. He eats often and he eats a lot. The buffet houses hate to see the man with a great appetite walk through the doors. Being a preacher, I’ve been the guest at many pitch-ins and potlucks. The food table is long and filled. You start with an empty plate and within two feet it is already filled. Folks have cooked and cooked and they expect you to eat and eat. It’s hard not to stuff yourself. Doing this very often shows, in ways that one does not like.

 

Our passage deals with self-control. That is the thought here. The man with a great appetite isn’t going to pig out because he is going to watch it. He is eating as if a knife is to his throat. He won’t leave stuffed like Thanksgiving dinner. He could, but he won’t. He is under control. When Peter listed the virtues in 2 Peter, self control was in that list. When Paul preached to Felix, the book of Acts tells us three subjects that he discussed with him: righteousness, the coming judgment and self-control. I find it interesting of all the things to talk about, self-control was in that list.

 

The opposite of self-control is out of control. We see that everywhere. Out of control spending—both in homes and in congress. Out of control anger. Out of control passion. Out of control. No telling where out of control will take you. No telling how it ends up. A car spinning out of control is sure danger and in trouble. A kid who is out of control is mouthy, disrespectful and spoiled. A couple who are out of control in their spending are deep in debt and unable to weather emergencies. Put a knife to the throat. Control yourself.

 

  • Control your words. Just as over eating before a ruler is not appropriate, too much talking can be inappropriate. Some would as soon die as to leave a room without their cell phone. Makes a person wonder who is controlled—the phone or the person who owns the phone?
  • Control your thoughts. You don’t have to say everything that comes to your mind. You don’t have to dwell upon every thought that crosses your mind. Some need to be tossed. Some will take you down a long and dark path that you do not belong on.
  • Control your habits. Don’t let them control you
  • Control your feelings. This includes anger, frustrations, pouting, whining, and complaining.
  • Control your spending. Have a budget and stick to it. Have a plan
  • Control your attitude. You have no control over what happens to you, but you do control how it affects you.
  • Control your kids at home. Don’t let the little ones run wild and do what ever they feel like. Control them. Lead them. Shape them. Mold them. Teach them. Enforce the rules at home.
  • Control your kids at church. Too many run. Too many eat. Too many are not getting what we are there for.
  • Control your appetite. Get a group of people together, throw in some food, and you’ll always find some who are hogs, taking so much food that there isn’t enough for others. You see that at weddings. The father of the bride is sweating because he doesn’t want to run out of food and he sees some with their plates piled to the top because “it’s free.” Been there.

 

If a person could control his appetite while eating with a ruler, you and I ought to be able to control ourselves in other areas. Sure it’s hard. Sure our feelings tell us that we want things now. Self-control builds patience. Self-control makes you stick to a plan. Self-control leads to positive results. Self-control helps with temptation.

 

I expect the man who had a great appetite, left the ruler’s table wanting to eat more. He got to eat. He wasn’t going to starve. He also, left an impression with the ruler that he wasn’t taking advantage of the situation nor was he selfish. Who knows, maybe the ruler would invite him back again? If he was a pig, that probably wouldn’t happen.

 

Control…are you in control or is your life spinning out of control? Do you pay attention to what you say, think and do? Are you careful or careless? Do you look at surroundings and tell yourself, “I best put a knife to my throat” so I won’t over eat? If you think this way, you’ll usually do alright. It’s the person who is not thinking that gets in trouble.

 

Out of control—not a good thought. It snowed here last night. I must get out soon. I will be very cautious. There are few things worse than driving out of control. There are few things worse that living a life that is out of control. A person doesn’t have to be in drug rehab or anger management classes to recognize that things are out of control. It happens all the time and all around us. Spinning lives that have lost focus, direction and purpose. Lives out of control.

 

The solution? Go to the kitchen and get a knife. Not literally, but symbolically. Get yourself under control. Take hold of your choices. Have a plan. Set your eyes upon Heaven. Don’t do what others do. They are out of control. Be different.

 

All it took was a knife…

 

Roger

 

16

Jump Start # 1017

Posted on January 16, 2014 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1017

Proverbs 24:10 “If you are slack in the day of distress, your strength is limited.”

  This verse speaks what we already know. Other versions translate this: “If you falter in a time of trouble, how small is your strength!” A person often doesn’t know how much or how little strength they have until they have to use it. In those dark days and deep valleys of life is where we must walk by faith and trust in the Lord.

A fair weather golfer is one who only golfs in nice weather. If it’s too windy, too cold, too rainy, too hot, too expensive, or “too anything” you’ll not find the fair weather golfer on the links. He only plays if the weather is nice. Some are fair weather Christians. They can be counted on and found walking with God when things are going well. Have a job, money in pocket, health in the body, vacation planned, kids doing well—you’ll see them at church. However, when life throws a curve ball, as it always does, then they struggle. Loss of job, mamma in the hospital, along comes discouragement, depression, doubt, fear, and questions about what they really believe. What happened? As our verse indicates, in the day of distress or trouble, they faltered because their strength was small.

 

David fighting Goliath is a classic example of one whose faith was strong and courageous. His brothers doubted him. King Saul had reservations about him. Goliath laughed and taunted him. In the day of distress, David remained steadfast because his faith was strong.

 

All of us will face distresses and trouble. They come in various sizes and times in our lives. They often come more than just one at a time. James wrote, “Consider all joy, brethren, when you encounter various trials…” They come. Too often, much too often, we spend a huge amount of effort and time trying to figure out the best ways to avoid trouble. No one likes trouble. However, it seems a better thing to do is spend our time strengthening ourselves so when they do come, we will not falter. Get strong.

 

Jesus ended the sermon on the mount with the story of the wise man and the foolish man. Both built houses. Both encountered storms of wind, rain and flood. The foolish man built on the sand. His house collapsed. He faltered in a time of trouble. His strength was small. The wise man, taking the time during sunny days, to build a solid foundation upon the Lord, endured the storm because his strength was great.

 

Now we can whine and complain about the storms we are going through. We can have a real pity party about such things. We can declare that “life’s not fair.” We can get angry. We can blow a gasket. We can play the blame game. All those things do is make the storms and trials worse. Pain is inevitable, as a dear author friend once wrote, but misery is optional. You can’t stop the troubles. You can decide what the troubles will do to you. Those with small strength will suffer. The troubles will set them back. For some, they will be conquered and destroyed by the troubles. We see that. Faith gone. Thrown in the towel on Jesus. They anticipated a trouble-free walk when they became a Christian. They were quickly disillusioned. The journey can be uphill at times. The journey takes one through dark valleys. The journey can seem long. And then the trouble hits. These things aren’t supposed to happen to Christians, is what the small in faith are convinced of. Instead of turning to the Lord, they turn from the Lord. Back to the world. Back to the bottle. Back to the pills. Back to bed. Convinced that Jesus is a joke and Christianity is a sham, they rejoin the legions of the lost. Prayers gone. Bible chucked. All goodness and decency slowly evaporates from their soul. Miserable. Angry. Bitter. They point fingers at the church. They curse goodness and good people. Why? What happened? They faltered in times of trouble because their strength was small. It wasn’t the trials. It wasn’t the church. It certainly wasn’t Jesus. It was their small faith.

 

When days are sunny, that’s when we need to build our faith. We need to shore up our foundations. Prayer needs to be often and strong. Bible reading deep and regular. Attendance to church services a must. Active, growing, participating. That strength will grow and grow. Then when troubles come, and they do, there won’t be any faltering, stumbling, quitting, doubting or giving up. No sir, not for the one who has strong faith. You won’t find him whining, complaining, fussing or blowing a gasket. He won’t doubt, get angry, nor blame others. He’s made differently. He’s made strong. He’s standing upon the rock and that rock is Jesus.

 

I’ve see this very thing. I’ve seen folks off to serious, long, brain surgery. What great faith they had. I’ve stood beside tearful parents as they buried their child, what great faith and thankfulness they demonstrated. I’ve seen the parents of prodigals. Broken hearted and disappointed in the choices of their children, but ever holding to the hands of God. These folks never skipped a beat with the Lord. They were found in attendance during their troubles. Their prayers continued upward. They looked deeply into the word of God. And today, these folks are continuing their walk with the Lord. They face new troubles and new challenges, but they will get through them because they have seen and they know by faith, that the Lord is always with them.

The same sun will melt wax or harden clay—it’s based upon what they are made of, or, how small their strength is. The same is with us. The same trouble will make one person bitter and another stronger in the Lord. The same trouble will be enough for some to quit and others to count their blessings. It’s not the trouble, it’s what we are made of. It’s how large or how small our strength is.

Falter or stand…small or great? Don’t wait until it’s too late to find out.

These are the days to get strong.

(Thanks to my incredible friend Don, for sharing this idea with me).

Roger

 

15

Jump Start # 1016

Posted on January 15, 2014 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1016

Genesis 2:19-20 “Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him.”

Adam was alone. God knew that. God expressed that right before our verses. This was not an oversight on God’s part. He didn’t forget. God’s not like that. Before God made Eve, Adam had to see that there was nothing suitable for him. He had animals, but he was alone. He could help the animals, but there was no one to help him.

Three thoughts:

First, Adam was intelligent. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15 that Adam was the “First man.” He was the first. Adam was not a cave man that grunted and pulled his woman by the hair. He could tend the garden. He could name the animals. He could communicate with God. Evolutions attempt to merge ape and man is without evidence and is counter to what the Bible shows us. Jesus said that God made man and woman from the beginning. At the start, there was man. Smart, talented, functional, and probably more advanced that most give him credit. He wasn’t flawed by sin, mutations or disease. He was the perfect person. God made him, so you know, like the rest of creation, Adam would have been the best. I’m glad there are no pictures of him around. It would probably make most of us look in the mirror and cry.

 

Second, Adam saw what God knew, there was no animal that was compatible to him. Adam was made in the image of God. The animals were not. God made Adam a living soul. The animals weren’t. Now there is a bond between man and animals. Many of us have pets. We adore our pets. No matter what kind of day you’ve had, your dog will greet you at the door with tail wagging. Our fellowship and friendship with our pets is on their level, not ours. They are limited by who they are. My daughter has a little dog named Roxy. She’s a beautiful Yorkie. I love when Roxy comes around. I’ll throw the ball over and over. We play hide and seek and she has zillions of squeaky toys that she loves to tug on. It’s a blast. But our fun is on her level. It’s a dog’s world. She can’t go beyond what she is. She can bark, and she does. Sometimes when I talk to her, she turns her head sideways. It’s funny to see. But she doesn’t relate to my level. She can’t. Our relationship can never be parallel or equal because she is limited. There is a gap between us that can never be bridged. I’m in the image of God and she is not. Mankind is not part of the animal kingdom. Genesis shows us otherwise. Man has dominion over God’s creation. Man is on a different level than the animals.

 

Animals can’t talk on their own. They do not have a will or a conscience. They lack a soul. They are governed by instinct. Man is master of his decisions and choices. Man is responsible for what he does. An animal can’t help what it does.

 

So God made Eve. Compatible to Adam. She was made not from dust as Adam was, but from his rib. She was God’s solution to man’s problem. She was the solution to man being alone. She was suited for man. Soul mates. Living souls. Communication, feelings, decisions, ideas, thoughts, and spirituality shared. Man had true fellowship with someone that was like him. Man had fellowship on an equal level. Man had someone like him.

 

Third, unlike the animal-man connection, we have a greater connection with God. We are made in God’s image. There is a bond of understanding between us and God. There is a limitation, simply because we are not God, but we have similar characteristics. We can be holy as God is holy. We can be a servant like Jesus was. We can forgive. We can have compassion. Our scope is limited and we can never do what God does, but we have similarities. We are more like God than we are like animals. Animals are not made in our image. We are not made in the image of animals. There is a man-God connection. The more we develop our godly characteristics the closer we become to God. We are more like God than we are like animals.

 

It seems that some act more like animals than they do God. They run on feelings, doing whatever they feel like, giving no regard to laws, rules or other people. That’s like an animal. We are not like animals. We are like God.

 

So Adam found in Eve more than someone he could talk to, but someone who could pray with him. He found someone who built character with him. He found someone who could bring out the best in him. He found someone else who was like him, who was made in the image of God.

 

We are more like God than we are like animals. That’s a thought evolutionists can’t handle. That’s a noble thought. That lifts us up. That compels us to reach for the good and right things. That makes us look at past actions and decisions. Selfishness, stubbornness, indifference—seem to be the three companions found in too many homes, is not from God. Those things are not like God. You won’t learn those things from God. The less we develop ourselves spiritually, the more we find ourselves alone and without one we are like. We will never be equal with animals. Without God, there is no one else like us. The development of the spiritual side of us pulls us closer to God. We find more in common with God. We act more like God. Our fellowship with God grows and is strengthened. And the results of such spiritual development, are the very things that God does—goodness, kindness, patience and helping others.

 

Those that live without God are lost. Lost, more than just spiritually. Lost, more than not going to Heaven. Lost, in the sense that they no longer have fellowship with one that they are like. We are like God. When we walk away from Him, we’ve lost that connection. The more ungodly we behave, the less we have in common with God. It doesn’t take much of that before a person has truly LOST all connection, fellowship and things in common with God. The very thing He made us, like Him, no longer exists when we turn our backs on Him. Lost. Lost the connection. Lost who we are like.

 

We are like God. Is it any wonder that Paul would say that Christ lives in me, or let the word of Christ richly dwell within you. This is who we are made after. This is what we are like. We have more in common with God than we do anything else.

 

We are one day closer to Heaven…

 

Roger

 

14

Jump Start # 1015

Posted on January 14, 2014 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1015

Psalms 134:1 “Behold, bless the Lord, all servants of the Lord,  who serve by night in the house of the Lord!

 

I find our passage from Psalms 134 to be unique and interesting. It comes from a very short Psalms—it’s only three verses long (42 words). Of those few words, God is referred to 6 times. This is a specific Psalm. It’s written for the night shift. It is directed toward those who would stay up through the night and watch and protect God’s house. Third shifters—they are a special breed. Not everyone can do it, and most only do it because their jobs demand it.

 

I have a third shifter living with us. My youngest son is a nurse in a hospital—ICU, third shift. He comes in and is ready for bed when we are up and ready to begin the day. He, like many in the medical field, works twelve hour shifts. Sometimes there are long gaps between the days he works. That’s when he really gets his days and nights mixed up. I couldn’t keep his hours. There are a few days that we hardly see him. There are other professions that demand the night shift. It’s hard. The world revolves around day time. Things happen in the day time.

 

Third shift people have two unique difficulties. First, is being with the family. It’s hard when a mom or a dad must work third shift. When the kids are running and playing, the third shifter is trying to sleep. Their schedules cross and they do not have much time for each other. Second, it’s hard to worship God when you work third shift. I admire those who come to services straight from working all night. You can tell that they are doing all that they can to stay awake. It’s a challenge. It would be so much easier to just go home and go to bed, but there they are. What a great example.

 

There are two great lessons to be seen in all of this:

 

First, God is awake all the time. He never tires. He never takes a day off. He’s never not at the helm of the Universe. Daytime prayers and nighttime prayers are heard just the same. The God who watches over us as we sleep is ready for us when we awake and are ready to tackle the world the next day. God is always there. That’s a great thought. Whenever you are, God is there. No matter what the time, God is there. I’ve been to stores before, just moments after they locked the door and closed for the night. Too late. Missed it. Left disappointed. You won’t have that experience with God. In the middle of the night, while some are working, most are sleeping, there are times when we are awake. Can’t sleep. Thoughts are racing through our minds. Anxious moments fill our hearts. Our thoughts turn to God. Prayers go upward. God hears. God is there. I thought about some who were out in the woods hiking or hunting and their prayers are heard just as well as those in the city. God is never closed for us. We don’t have to take turns, not with God. All of this is amazing to me. There is nothing else like this. What a great God we have.

 

Second, God wants all of us to continue to seek Him, praise Him, bless Him and follow Him. The night shifters as well as the day shifters. The single guy as well as the family man. The retired person as well as the busy businessman. The college kid and the old guy. All of us. God wants us seeking Him, following Him and praising Him. Dayshift or nightshift isn’t an excuse for not praying, following and connecting with God.

 

How special that God gave a Psalms directed toward those who guarded and stood over His house all through the night. When the day shift began and those who stayed up all night went to bed, few thought of the service that they provided all through the night. God did. God saw, remembered and recognized the great work of standing and watching through the night. The next day, when service to God would begin by priests, all would be as it should because of those dedicated night watchmen. They were doing a service for others and God blessed them for that.

 

Today, while most of us are up and at it, there will be some who will just be going to bed. Their work ended when we started. Give thought to those folks who patrol our streets, keep us well in the hospitals, who monitor and make sure that we have water and electricity and all the zillion things that we take for granted. There are those who stay up through the night so we can have that. Bless them. Especially, bless our brethren, who juggle work, family and worship while working the night shift.

 

Roger

 

13

Jump Start # 1014

Posted on January 13, 2014 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1014

Revelation 2:15 “So you also have some who in the same way hold the teaching of the Nicolatians.

The book of Revelation was written to seven specific churches. Theories abound about what those seven churches represent. Some feel that they illustrate cycles all churches go through. Others see church history represented by those seven churches. I tend to think that they were seven real churches and what is said happened to be what was going on. Sometimes a person can read too much into things and conspiracy theories and speculations are fed off of our imaginations more than what the text actually says.

Our verse today is taken from things that were said to the Pergamum church. There were some there who held the teachings of the Nicolatians. Again, all kinds of ideas float around about what the “Nicolatian teachings” were. I’m not sure. What I see is that the church at Ephesus hated the deeds of the Nicolatians (v. 6). God also hated the deeds of the Nicolatians (v. 6). Yet, here at Pergamum, there were some who believed in teachings that God hated.  Very odd in my book. Very strange.  All of this tells us a few important facts.

 

  • Every congregation is separate and unique from others. Some congregations may be opposite in what they are doing. Ephesus hated Nicolatian deeds. Pergamum held to Nicolatian teachings. A person cannot use a wide sweeping generalization about the status of churches, because they are different. It is easy for someone to look at one congregation, usually the one that they attend, and conclude no churches are growing these days. For some congregations that is true. Others, many others, are adding on to their buildings because of growth. Saying churches are weaker today than they were in the last generation, again is a broad generalization that often isn’t true.

 

  • What each congregation needs is different. Ephesus was doing well when it came to Nicolatian issue. Pergamum wasn’t. Ephesus had other problems. One size fits all solutions doesn’t work for all places. Teaching programs, the type of sermons, the specific goals will be different in each congregation based upon what is needed in each place. Often some will try to copy what is being done in one place and use it in another place, and it doesn’t work as well. People, needs, situations are different. Wise leaders will look specifically at the their people and make decisions upon what is before them, not what is being done elsewhere.

 

  • Christians need to be continually taught. Our verse states that at Pergamum there were “some” who held the teaching of the Nicolatians. It doesn’t seem that everyone was, just “some.” That itself tells us that the church was some what divided and not everyone was on the same page. I expect there is some of that in nearly every congregation. It’s hard to know what everyone believes. Some don’t express it and it’s hard to know what they think. Now what these “some” did with the Nicolatian teaching is the key. Was this something that they believed before they became a Christian and they just never gave it up? Was this something that they read or heard and picked up without thinking it through? Did this teaching find a foothold among those young in faith? What would they do with this? Would they try to influence the rest who did not hold this teaching? Would they try to turn the whole church on this? Remember, God hated that teaching (v. 6). What these folks were believing was something that was false, dangerous to their faith, and not part of the Christian system. They would not have learned this from the Bible because the Bible doesn’t teach what God hates. This was a serious problem. If not handled correctly and carefully, a division would easily take place. The work of shepherding involves teaching and correcting. It often is difficult work, as in the situation at Pergamum, some within the church would have to be shown why Nicolatian teachings were not part of God’s will. Would that be well received? Would that turn ugly? Would they be stubborn and refuse to listen? It is much easier to ignore things like this and hope they go away, but they never do. Little problems become big problems because things are ignored.

 

  • There has always been weird ideas, false ideas, crooked teachings floating around that some folks seem to gravitate to and hold on to. False teaching is the way of Satan. It takes us away from God. It makes us think we are right when we are not. Slick preachers, smooth talkers, those that seem to be enlightened and intellectual have a following. For some, they tire of the old ways and they are always looking for something new and different. Some love to live on the fringes. They look for new ways to see things. They like to be pioneers in thought. My advice is simply get over it. After 2,000 years there is not going to be any new discoveries, new ways of looking at things, that is going to change what the Bible says. I’ve read books that are based upon a new way of looking at things. They are new. Insights into the times, some are now saying, changes how we look at some of the verses. Really? Does that mean, until now, no one has known what God says? Only until now, based upon external studies of lands, languages and customs, do we really know God’s will? I doubt that. What about the guy in the 1200’s who didn’t know all that stuff? Was he hopelessly in a spiritual fog because he did not know the truth of what God says? Sorry, I can’t buy that. Satan loves to get us excited about new thinking, new words, new ways. Jeremiah said, “Ask for the ancient paths.” False ways is nothing new.

 

  • Each person and each congregation is responsible for knowing the will of God. We need to stop being spoon fed on Sundays by the preacher. We need to dig into God’s word. Do our homework. Chase down answers to questions and find out for ourselves. When we do that, Nicolatian teachings won’t have a chance among us. We’ll see it for what it is. Those who don’t know are the ones most likely to fall under the spell of false teaching.

 

  • God loves us, even when we believe something that He hates. Pergamum was told to repent. God wanted them to do right. God always holds out the hope that we will do right. He never slams the door shut and is through with us. We often need to change. We often need to get our act together. God is patient. God is waiting. It mattered. Nicolatian teachings were wrong. God didn’t tolerate it. God didn’t look the other way. Dump it. Get rid of it. Repent. The age of tolerance doesn’t fly when one reads the Bible. God has “one faith” (Ephesians 4). Jesus is “the way” (John 14). This is not “have it your way.” It’s God’s way or the highway. The spirit of tolerance is Satan’s gospel, not God’s. Get Biblical. Do things the Bible way. That’s what pleases God. Stop using pretty words and call sin what it is, sin. Some are not different, they are flat out wrong. Some do not see things in a different way, they see things in a wrong way. Follow the Bible. That’s the call for all of us.

 

Nicolatian stuff—Ephesus hated it, Pergamum held to it. How strange. How strange some things are today.

 

Roger